Shattered Horizons
by timeobserver1997
Summary: Six months after the events of Freedom Planet, the Red Scarves attempts to rebuild themselves as a Private Military Company as Spade gains (some) trust back from the three nations. Meanwhile, a cache of Brevon's technology is recovered by a rival militia. Spade goes solo in an attempt to recover the goods. Inspired by Half Life 2 and The Phantom Pain missions.
1. Briefing

**I've been doing some MGSV over the break. As soon as Freedom Planet 2 came up, I couldn't help but think of something that will tie the two games together. This is an attempt to construct that connection.**

* * *

"Are the servers fixed?"

"Yes boss, but it took a bite out of our account though, even some of the defense systems were compromised in the process."

"...fuck...like how much?"

"About 5 million. We can't go this far with so little. We need to reboot our gambling sector, anything to alleviate this...deficit we have."

"And the laundering?"

"Possibly that."

"Commence the gambling sector, but no need for the others. We are better than this."

"But boss-"

"I know. 30%. But, look how far we've gotten. My brother is now sane, our ranks our swelling thanks to the ex-sisters. A breakdown should not destroy all that progress we made these past few months, even years. You figured out what caused it?"

"The university in Shang Tu recorded unique energy signatures as early as three weeks ago."

"What are talking about here? Radiation?"

"Some radiation. And energy pulses, like small gamma ray bursts, which have been causing the disruptions. Shuigang has been faring badly."

"I know. Thank god Dail got his shit together."

"We believe the source is about a few hours down the coast, closer to the Shang Mu border, Porcelain Bay. I received some transmissions from a few of our informants there three days ago. Looks like a cache of Brevon's technology is the source of it."

"Don't tell me that motherfucker and his limbless bitch general is back."

"There are no signs of them at the moment. But we did catch sight of the NALF ***** operative."

"Those punks huh? At least they're not as bad. We better get cracking then. How much do you think they have?"

"We are not sure at the moment. But we do expect another 60% to be covered with what we can recover. Since we have not had an encounter in years, any potential engagements may start another war. It is best to do this as quietly as possible. Even then, who knows what could be done with Brevon's weapons."

"I've had some experience and interacted with his arsenal. It's been awhile since we've pulled off some big operations. I'll take care of it."

"And the others?"

"Deploy the others once the main threats are neutralized for recovery and cleanup. I'll head off tomorrow night."

* * *

 ***National Avalician Liberation Front: A separatist paramilitary group that rival the Red Scarves. Designated terror group by Shuigang, Shang Mu, and Shang Tu. Remained inactive during the events of the Invasion.**

* * *

 **Today, a new film by J.J. Abrams was announced. 10 Cloverfield Lane. No idea what will happen, but it looks great. He is a master of sci-fi and suspense and it something I've been following and adapting to my works. I have a lot on my plate, with many active projects. Better get cracking haha.**


	2. Porcelain Bay

Porcelain Bay.

There's tons of legends about that place. For over several millennia, there's been many hipwrecks around the area thanks to the typhoons that are often drawn there by the currents. Several shards of porcelain can be found there, hence the name.

Spade went there once, as a kid, when he still lived with Dail and the royal family. It was on one of the nicer areas of the coast. He still had a few shards with him.

It was a surprise that the NALF was operating around this area, considering it is a relatively peaceful region. But even with the decades of inactivity in general, Brevon's tech is a game-changer.

Spade glanced outside of the chopper. It was dark and hazy, and the moon overhead was nothing but a white blur. Enough light but dark enough. Not bad.

Spade took out his smartphone and booted it up.

The glow of the Lotus Tech's logo lit up the chopper. On the bottom: Ashura-OS *

It was a new model that was released a few months back. The regular release is simply known as Lotus 12. This variant is the 12X, which was distributed as a management and diplomatic tool among the rulers of Avalice. Spade managed to acquire one via Dail soon after his recovery.

Lotus Tech was the pride of Shuigang's tech sector. Most of the developers came from the Shuigang Institute of Technology, jokingly referred to as ShIT Tech by other Avalician universities due to its reputation as a new establishment. Unfortunately for Shuigang, the company fled to Shang Tu following Brevon's invasion.

Spade logged in and activated the transmission back towards his headquarters.

" _Boss, I'm sure you know about the recent finds in the area right?_ "

"Yeah Ezra, I heard about the excavations. Man, it's been a while since I've been there."

" _The cultural administration from Shang Tu have uncovered entire vases and wares out of the bay. Recent aerial surveys of the region has indicated signs of ancient sites peppered around the region._ "

"So we're talking about looting here, right?"

" _The vases alone can go for millions in auctions. With a location like FOB Gold Phoenix, the group has access to advanced technology, as well as loads of cash in their pockets. Taking it over will be altruistic. We get the technology and improve on the diplomatic front._ "

"And the artifacts?"

" _We...uh...we still need to think about it. I'll talk to the others."_

"Okay."

" _We supplied an extra pistol and silencer on the side. It's up to you whether to use it or not, but I don't think cards alone is enough to intimidate the enemy._ "

Spade smirked.

"Okay...thanks."

The chopper slowed down.

"We're here?" Spade asked.

" _About 30 minutes south of the FOB._ " Ezra answered. " _Just so the operators don't notice._ "

"Alright."

Spade opened the door and landed towards on the forest floor.

"Stay safe boss." the pilot called out as he departed.

Taking in the cedar-y scent, with a hint of saltiness, Spade continued his path.

It has begun.

* * *

 *** Ashuras (Asuras) are a three-faced entities in Buddhist tradition. There's a famous sculpture in Japan of this figure at Kofuku-ji in Nara.**

* * *

 **The idea of the technology background is based on RobCo's Pip-Boy. Fallout does a good job at compiling the world's technological history. I used a bit of Buddhist elements with it to maintain the aesthetic.**

 **I think I'm making Ezra too much like Kaz haha... but at least it this is more straightforward than MGS.**


	3. FOB Gold Phoenix

**FOB Gold Phoenix:**

It was an operating base established by the Shuigang Army over a century ago during the Shang Mu border wars. Every once in a while, the army would go there to conduct military exercises, and the occasional weapons and rocket tests.

During Brevon's occupation of the nation, it was once again used as a base to potentially launch attacks against Shang Mu in an effort to reignite another intercontinental war. The base never saw conflict as the Shuigang military evacuated to fight the Avalician coalition up north.

After a brief occupation by Zao's army, it was eventually transferred back to the rehabilitated nation, which since then took out remnants of Brevon's minions three months back. How it got into the hands of the NALF was beyond Spade.

It was dark. The soft rain fell and pattered on the trees. There was this thick fog up ahead, but it wasn't too bad. Gaining his composure, Spade dashed up the trail, and slowed down upon catching sight of a lone checkpoint.

One lone portable light tower was propped up besides the post and a small generator that ran it. Two people hung around inside the building, assault rifles in hand and two spears, one qiang and one naginata on the side. Their faces were covered by a black scarf, but the insignia of the NALF gleamed off of their armbands: two serpentine dragons, one red and one blue, forming a circle. Looked like an easy target.

Two cards at hand, Spade aimed, making sure that none of them hit any arteries.

 _FWIT FWIT_

 _Ugh..._

Both guards groaned in pain before they collapsed. Spade jogged up towards the outpost and inspected inside.

Some papers, random crap...a flare gun. Spade pocketed the flare gun and jogged ahead.

 **金鳳凰**

The carved symbols of FOB Gold Phoenix was carved into the once magnificent stone gate. The characters have faded with time, and some chunks of the gate have crumbled or is crumbling. The monsoons of Porcelain Bay has took a toll on many of the artificial structures that line around it. In the distance, was the base itself.

The main structure was by the sea, but surrounding it were the barracks, warehouses, and administration building, much of which was blanketed by darkness. However, there were several dim lights, some of which are set up by crudely made or old generators. The NALF did not seem to have that much of a budget to go by.

" _Anything Boss?"_

"Looks pretty empty. There's a lot of lights though, and tons of generators."

" _Could be an ambush. Be careful."_

Spade scanned the barracks up ahead, nobody around. There was a barbed wire fence surrounding the compound, but it too looked worn and rusted. A massive opening was in one nearby section. That was easy.

The base was deathly silent, except for the howl of the wind, the soft rain, and the hum of the generators. As Spade approached one of the lights, the Lotus lit up; an energy signature.

Spade examined the generator and opened it up, inside was a simple glass vial, and within a dark blue glow, it's warm aura resembled that of the Kingdom Stone.

Spade quickly pocketed the vial.

"Looks like they've found a way to harness what's left of the Kingdom Stone."

" _How strong are we talking here. You know the energy can be harnessed in general right?_ "

"I'm talking very concentrated. Like dark as stone itself. I don't know why they're using it on plain generators though..."

" _Sounds like a waste, but if it was to just test its power, then it makes sense. Looks like they've had been experimenting for a while. Whatever they're planning, it can happen anytime."_

"Don't worry, I'll get to it. We're not talking about an actual alien force here."

" _Even past heroes fuck up on the smallest of things. One wrong shot can make things go ballistic. Remember that we're keeping this clean. Whether you like it or not, your brother's reputation-"_

"Yeah yeah yeah, quit that honor and scandal BS. Trust me, I had this conversation several times. I'll keep this clean."

Spade smirked and walked off towards the main base.

Along the way, as Spade picked up a few more energy vials from the generator the lights went off, one by one. They seemed to work like batteries, and it looks like they would really help in the maintenance costs on base.

Or it can fetch a high price, especially from Zao. His lust for energy and tech has done wonders to Shang Mu, but it's hard to comprehend what Zao really wants, since he has everything he wanted. It didn't matter, a good deal is a good deal.

The vials gave off a bit of heat, a comforting level of warmth inside the pockets of his trousers. This was not some ordinary glass. All the more reason to take it.

The main base was in the distance, aside from the modern barracks and worn buildings, the base was probably the most ancient of all the buildings. The walls were made of classic brick and mortar and the towers had the additional wooden platforms to serve as crude watchtowers.

Nobody was on duty but the searchlights gave off a bright fluorescent glare.

On the bottom, about a dozen or so guards were patrolling the grounds. Some with spears, others with assault rifles.

Keeping an eye out for snipers, Spade calculated the positions of each guard. A group of three were conversing with each other. two others leaned against the wall, the rest individually patrolling but maintaining enough distance to cover the area. It wasn't that bad of a patrolling pattern.

Spade snuck up on the conversing guards. They were chatting about some politics but nothing too interesting.

Cards in hand, he made three swipes, each card sliding smoothly in the legs of each guard. The guards collapsed and shouted in pain, but before they could say anything else, Spade leapt and with a quick roundhouse kick, slammed each of the guards head into the mud. With each strong hit by the leg came the satisfying _THWACK!_ and potentially, a dislocated jaw.

Two guards took immediate notice of the attack. In an instant, Spade flicked out four cards, one missed, another to one guard's arm and the rest landing on the guards' pressure points. They keel over into the mud.

One by one, most of the guards are taken out. From tackles, more cards, and one surprise strangulation. Feeling satisfied, Spade looked up at the tower. The searchlights really lit up the area, and he had an urge to take it out, but destroying the lights may alert the others. Not worth fighting a horde in an otherwise exposed area.

Shifting his gaze left and right of the fort. Spade ran off in search of an alternate entrance.

" _INTRUDER!"_

Those horrible words. Spade looked to see an additional three guards running towards him, assault rifles in hand.

"Contact!" one yelled as they started firing.

Spade ducked in time just as the projectiles flew past him. They weren't bullets, they felt hot, it was something different. Spade dashed off, and jumped over a concrete barrier. He slid off a chunk of the deck out of his hands. He fucked up, but he was ready.

 _KKKKK... KKKKK... KKKKKK..._

The three guards froze. Their bodies instantaneous encased in blue crystal. Even one of the energy rounds was encased before popping and disintegrating.

Something made a soft landing behind Spade, and before he could move, he felt an ice cold tip pricking the nape of his neck.

"Neera."

* * *

 **Sticking to the tradition of Freedom Planet, I'm planning to use traditional Chinese characters to label certain signs for the sake of background. If I made a mistake, please do correct me.**

 **It took a while to make this one, I wanted to create a certain dynamic similar to what I see in shooters and stealths, like MGSV and Dishonored, while balancing the pace of the story.**

 **Otherwise, for a really cold weekend, and a shitton of homework, things have come to a satisfying end. And the season premiere of the Walking Dead, holy shit that was the best episode I've ever seen.**

 **More to come.**


	4. Sasha

**Sasha**

"Neera..." Spade smirked, "It's been a few months. What brings you here?"

"Magister's orders." Neera answered sternly. "He wants the remnants of the mothership to be recovered...for additional research. I assume you're here for the same reason?"

"Well...it's more like settling some debt, take out a rival, and get some of that sweet tech." Spade replied sheepishly. "How the hell did you get here?"

"Looks like you really do underestimate the Magister. He knows a lot more of your dirty secrets than you expect. By the way, nice recon. I assume you're here for Dail?"

"I'm just running errands on my own, but hey, I can offer all kinds of service. Even _The Magister_ needs someone to take care of his dirty work.'

The tip of the spear dug deeper into Spade's neck. Neera growled.

" _DON'T...YOU...EVEN!"_

"But...hahah...we're here for the same reason right? Come on, can we at least get the job over with before you kill me or something?"

He took out one of the glass vials and tossed it to Neera.

Neera took the spear off of Spade's neck and grabbed the vial. They were special, but he was here for the mother lode.

"They've been running generators with this stuff. They're basically super-batteries. Looks like the Front's R&D team has really been at it."

Neera's anger faded away as she examined the vial, which gave off the warm indigo glow of the Kingdom Stone.

"It looks very concentrated. They've been running some of their small generators with it. Looks like it can power a small city alone for decades." Spade said

"They've has gotten pretty far. It's only a matter of time until they release whatever it is they're working on." Neera observed.

Spade patted down one of the knocked out guards. He pulled out an assault rifle and grenade. The rifle was pretty small and unusually light. The plasma rounds definitely were a modification.

"They probably know that we're here already. This should create a temporary diversion, if I can throw...it...right..." Spade said, aiming away from the fortress.

Spade tossed and the grenade sailed over a warehouse.

"Should be good enough." he observed.

Spade and Neera ran toward the one of the side entrances just as the grenade detonated.

The entrances to the main fort was unlocked. On the outside, it resembled a centuries old tourist attraction, but after decades of renovation, the insides looked relatively new, aside from the few years of disuse. Electrical wires, unboxed crates filled the halls. The walls were made of rebar and concrete.

There was shouting in the distance but it faded away, looks like they were using another exit.

"Check the rooms." Spade said just as Neera started searching.

Spade darted to one of the rooms and booted up the Lotus.

"Ezra! Come in!"

" _Boss! What's going on?_ "

"Did you make sure that nobody else aside from us check the intel?"

" _We made sure."_

"Well...Neera is here now. She's probably here for the same reason."

" _Did she say anything."_

"Magister's orders, and _Nice recon."_

" _Dammit!"_

"We'll talk about this later okay? For now, we finish the job. Then we find the moles, if there's any."

" _Okay. But I will at least check the servers then. Anything else?"_

"Inside the main fortress now." Spade said, eyes darting. "Created a diversion, should give us another 30 minutes or so. Neera is checking the rooms, but I don't think anything is worth much here. Also came across some assault rifles. Plasma rounds. This is some new stuff they're developing, but they're basically prototypes."

" _Plasma rifles?"_

"Very lightweight too."

" _They've definitely gotten far. They must've used Shuigang scientists for it."_

"Why Shuigang?"

" _Dail is still around so there are some people who still thinks of him as too brutal or at least a puppet of that alien. Could explain why the Front reappeared on the map a few months back."_

"Looks like this area doesn't have any scientists around. Or at least the intel says so."

" _This is the main hub. But The Front has gained experience underground. They know logistics and how to redistribute their people. At least taking out and confiscating this base should give signs of their whereabouts. Sasha did some work undercover here under my directive. She's the one who has provided the intel. She should be around here Boss, it's time to get her out."_

"What? Why haven't you told me about this?!" Spade exclaimed.

" _I was going to brief you about this. A fault on my part. I'll take full responsibility for my actions."_

Sasha Birch, an Earth Dragon mix, about 21 years old. Out of many of the recruits, there was something about her that seemed to pique Spade's interest. It was a few months after Lilac left when she first joined. She was skilled, good with lucrative business, had this natural charisma that many other members lacked. It was hard to believe a girl like her could start off as a delinquent. She also a had minor drug problem, but it didn't take long for her to cleanup. After the invasion, when he initiated the organizational cleanup of the Red Scarves, she started to show. Usage in firearms was phenomenal, fighting techniques was pretty solid, agility could use some work, but she seemed level-headed in several situations. Ezra was right. He did train her well.

"We'll talk about this later." Spade sneered.

" _Yes...Boss."_

Spade placed the Lotus back into his pocket. The room was obviously sparse. Empty cabinets and drawers, and a table glowing the flickering lights. A deck of cards sat on the table along with some cash. In front was a 10 Clovers. Spade flipped it over. Ace of Hearts. This guy would've been lucky if he kept on playing. Spade took the deck and the loose cards. More ammo for him.

Spade got out of the room and started searching. There was nothing of value in the other rooms. Neera was not around; she must've gotten far ahead. He reached the main atrium of the fortress. This area has seen less neglect comparing to the hallway. Even the stairways maintained the wood stain. Otherwise, it had a cold look like the rest of the fort. There were two guards to the left and right balcony. It seemed the rest went out. Spade's ears pricked. He could hear radio chatter in the distance.

" _Got 5 men knocked out. Ren and Miller are frozen solid. Shit! I think the priestess is here."_

Another voice: _"Send two units into the woods! Check on Park and Murph! Everybody else! Head back into the base! Engage at enemy immediately!"_

Spade took out a set of 8 cards; two for each guard, and flung it aimed.

 _Fwit fwit fwit fwit..._

Two cards managed to hit some of the guard's faces. Three cards sliced into each guard's arms and the rest missed. All of them dropped their weapons and screamed in pain, their hands covering their newly opened wounds.

Spade dashed up the steps. On the right balcony, he quickly dispatched the two guards with a takedown. The other two started to recover, one of them took the card out of his cheek. Spade sprinted and lunged forward, knocking over the guard, who then fell squarely on his face on the floor. The last guard ran forward and attempted to knock Spade out with a punch. Spade leapt over, but the punch skimmed his cheek while midair. Spade grunted and landed behind the guard. He kicks the guard in the back, knocking him forth and send with one last push, forcing the guard over the rail.

The last guard's body flopped like a rag doll. He let out a scream before getting cut off with a loud _THUD!_

Spade kept on running towards the opposite hallway, much of which consist of offices and a cafeteria. In the distance he heard the sound of drawers and files opening. He quickly examined one of the rooms. Neera was shifting through some of the cabinets.

"You left a couple of guards." Spade said.

"Those were for you, just to even things out a bit." Neera answered.

It took a few seconds for Spade to process what she meant. He smirked.

"Anything good?"

"It's gonna take a few minutes." Neera answered. "Lots of them looks like stolen files from Shuigang. It'll be difficult to get all of the objective material. Any hostiles?"

Spade scratched his back.

"The guards I took out asked for some reinforcements. If you could ice them in like two minutes or so...it should buy us some time."

Spade glanced at the desk, and noticed a couple of flash drives sitting around. If Neera was going to sabotage his opportunity to loot, now was the time to take something.

Spade grabbed two flash drives and ran off.

"I'll check the other rooms."

The fluorescent lights flickered on and off. Despite the Front's energy sources, their electric infrastructure sure hadn't hold up. Then again, it's only three months since the Shuigang military abandoned it.

Spade took a turn in the hallway. It was then when he heard some noises. A few grunts, some weeping. It wasn't on this floor. Spade paused, and started to examine his surroundings. There's gotta be a basement somewhere. Spade started to examine each door. All of them were locked, but one card slice was enough to destroy the locks. He kicked open each door and looked in.

Empty. Empty. And Empty.

Spade quietly cursed and got cracking with the next set of doors. It was then when he heard the thumping of footsteps. He got back behind one of the rooms.

The basement door opened. Two guards walked out, one with a pistol drawn, another with a standard combat knife. Their balaclavas hid much of their faces, so it hard to determine what they were. The pistol man might be a tiger, the knife man was probably a fox.

"What the hell?" The tiger said.

The knife man paused, and examined a busted lock on the other side of the hall.

"Looks fresh." The fox responded.

"We know you're here. Give it up and no one gets hurt!"

Spade said nothing. The fox started to kick open the each door. The tiger approached Spade's door. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Spade slid further into darkness.

 _BAM!_

The door flew open and the pistol guy cautiously entered. He had a pretty nice build, clearly strong enough to be conscripted, but the way he held the pistol was enough to indicate he was probably a new member or trainee. He should be easy.

Spade lunged and grabbed the gun. Startled, the pistol man accidentally pulled the trigger, discharging one shot.

 _BANG!_

Ears ringing, the tiger winced. Spade took the opportunity to disarm him, and with a quick twist of the wrist, the tiger grunted in pain. With a quick coordinated hit to the knee, Spade brought the tiger down. Spade glanced down at the now defeated figure, and with one last resounding kick to the head, the guard was knocked unconscious.

"Jackson!" The fox exclaimed just as he came face to face with Spade's pistol.

"Get down!" Spade grunted.

The fox raised his arms and dropped the knife. He kneeled down and placed his face on the cold, damp concrete.

Spade pocketed the knife and his pistols and took out his deck. The ace of spades is his standard signature. He placed the card right at the foxes throat.

"You know who I am?"

The fox nodded, beads of sweat pouring down his face.

"I can end it right now. You'll be surprised by the capabilities of cardboard cutting into flesh and metal."

The fox's eyes widened with fear.

"Alright, tell me what is in the basement."

The fox stammered, and growled with fear.

"Thanks." Spade said, before knocking the fox unconscious with a quick stamp to the head.

Spade got up and went into the basement. The smell of fresh plaster filled his nose. He took a turn to the right and came across a well lit room. A plastic table laid on one corner, with a bit of radio equipment scattered around the edges. On the other side, there was a long PVC pipe and a cage. A prisoner sat in the corner, handcuffed to the pipe. A bag covered her head and she let out small groan in pain.

Spade recognized her voice.

"Sasha?"


	5. Ouroboros

**Ouroboros**

"Sasha?" Spade said as he approached the dragon.

Sasha groaned a bit in pain.

Spade took off the bag and threw it aside.

"Jeez...you really do look like shit."

There's only been a few dragons that joined the Red Scarves. Lilac was one of them, Sasha came next. Sasha was known to be...unique. She was blond, and her skin had yellowish-tan tones. But, her hair also had this pale, celestial silverish gleam to it. If anything, Birch was an apt name.

Sasha was bruised up and her horn was chipped. She didn't look good.

"Boss?" she muttered weakly, lifting her face and gazing at Spade. "Is that really you?"

"It's me." Spade replied, "I'm gonna get you outta here."

Spade reached into his pocket and grabbed a mini canister of red petal concentrate.

"This is gonna hurt." he said as he started spraying it over Sasha's face and body.

She twitched and groaned in pain. It was doing its job, but she needed more time. She had to get out of here.

Spade placed her arm on his shoulder and helped her up.

"This is the first time you've said my first name." she said.

"You know the rules right? Don't leave anybody behind?"

Sasha grunted.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I got caught."

"Don't be." Spade responded. "You did your job. You gotta get outta here.."

"Just me?"

"You need to recover. I'm doing my part now."

Spade took out one of the plasma pistols he pocketed from the guards.

"Take this. I won't be needing it."

Sasha took the gun and tucked it into the side of her pants.

"I took out a lot of the guards already. Only thing is that Neera Li is here as well. It will be only matter of time before the Shang Tu military gets more of the cut than we do."

"You don't mean to fight them right?"

"It'll take diplomacy. As long as we get our fair share thanks to you."

Spade and Sasha entered back into the hallway and headed back towards the atrium.

Sasha took Spade's arms off her shoulder and limped towards one of the doors.

"This is one of the armories." she said as she kicked it open.

Spade peered inside. The shelves were filled with crates of ammo, but there are not that many guns. However, a fair amount of grenades in different variations covered some of the shelves and tables.

Spade walked in and grabbed a few smoke grenades. Sasha grabbed a couple of sleeping grenades and grabbed a few magazines of plasma ammo. They too had that familiar glow of the Kingdom Stone.

"They've been developing their arsenal over the past few months alone." Sasha explained. "The scientists and engineers who built much of it are not here. They're scattered all over, this is only an armory and transport site."

Sasha attempted to pick up an assault rifle. But recoiled and dropped the gun from the pain on her shoulders. She swore.

"Fuck, that hurts."

She grabbed a smaller, but more manageable gun and held it up, testing it with slight discomfort.

"I'm good now."

She walked out, albeit with a slight limp. Spade walked in front, five cards at hand. By the time they reached the end of the corridor by the stairs, Neera popped out of the doors.

"You better check this out." she said.

In the room, there was a large table, much of which is covered by various papers, manuscripts and unrolled scrolls. Wooden crates lay strewn open by the walls, their padlocks shattered into dozens of pieces thanks to Neera's ice spear.

"Look at this." Neera said.

Spade skimmed through some of the papers. Lot of them are standard government documents. The majority of them are from Shuigang, which is not a surprise. Many important confidential papers disappeared from the national archives since Brevon's reign. That's a given in every basic conflict. Some of the other works look significantly older. The characters are written in archaic script so it's impossible to comprehend.

"Golden Sun Sutra, Dragon Stone Sutra, Crimson Oak, the Front has done a lot of digging."

Neera said. "So many unknown religious works, now at the hands of terrorists. It can potentially undermine all of the nations, and fetch a high price on the black market."

"They've really been at it." Spade responded. "Birch, do you know anything about this?"

"This area was restricted even for me." Sasha said. "I've never...never thought it would be this large."

"Anything other caches around here?" Spade asked as he rummaged through more papers.

"There's a huge cache of coins and porcelain jars in the basement. I had to do some of the dirty excavation work." Sasha answered.

Spade continued to sort through the papers, and stopped. He picked up a manila envelope written with the following characters:

 **銜尾蛇**

"Ouroboros." Spade read outloud. The envelope had a circular design, which resembled a serpentine dragon with wings. The mouth seemed like it was about to bite what was supposed to be the tail.

He took out a sheet of paper from the envelope. It looked worn from time. Could be centuries old, even millennia. The script was archaic as well, and writing covered over half of the sheet. On the bottom was a diagram of...some creature...or thing... it looked mechanical.

"Neera, any idea what this is?"

Spade passed the paper to Neera who inquisitively examined the contents.

"Do you have any what it says?"

"I learned enough archaic to get by." Neera answered as she squinted her eyes on one section. "But the script is tough, this will take hours. I can pick something up. Some kind of superweapon under the sea..."

"A weapon under the sea?" Spade repeated.

"I don't know anything about this. That's it! I'm calling the forces in." Neera said. "I'm gonna make sure all of the rooms are secured. It's important that everything stays intact. Take care of the guards."

Neera dashed out of the room.

"Dammit!" Spade responded.

"Does that mean...?" Sasha asked.

"Shang Tu will get involved and our work will go to waste. I'll send the deployment order."

Spade booted up the Lotus.

"Ezra, come in!" he barked.

" _Boss!"_

"I got Birch now, she's okay."

" _Thank God! I was worried something...much worse...would've happened to her."_

"She's a bit bruised up but I fixed her. Listen, all of us, Neera included, found a bunch of documents. We're talking about some hardcore stuff. She's getting a deployment order in, there's a chance Shang Tu will come in."

" _That means..."_

"Get a deployment order ready! We need to secure the resources and intel as soon as possible. Watch out for the plasma rounds as well; they can pack quite a punch."

" _Roger that!"_

Spade could hear Ezra's voice shout in the background of the audio feed.

" _ALL UNITS, THIS IS COMMANDER RHEE! THE BOSS NEEDS OUR ASSISTANCE! DEPLOY THE GUNSHIPS AND NEUTRALIZE ANY LIBERATION FRONT TARGETS! OUT!"_

* * *

 **Finals Week. Been studying my ass off, and writing this chapter was one of the few ways I've stayed focused on essay writing instead of booting up my games on Steam. Freshman year down. That was quick.**

 **More to come.**


	6. Beginning Hour

**Beginning Hour**

"Sasha, stick with me."

Sasha nodded.

"How about those two?" she asked, nodding her head towards the slumped bodies of the guards.

"No need to worry about them." Spade said, "They'll be out for a while. It's best to get moving."

 **WEST CORRIDOR:**

"Ever been here before?" Spade asked

"Once or twice," she said. "I made some delivery runs around here, mostly archival storage, and some ammo storage. The administrative barracks are here, and there are many entrances from them. So it's best if we kept on moving."

The corridor was dimly lit, and the fluorescent lights flickered throughout, illuminating the area with a hint of an oppressive and sinister tone of blue. Most of the main generators were taken out as far as Spade was concerned.

 _The backups are far cruder, but they should do the job._

The floors were relatively clean, but the walls have seen better days.

"Gather whatever you can find." Spade commanded as he scanned for open rooms along the stretch of hallway.

Sasha nodded and darted off to the closest room on the left.

Spade peeked into the opposite rooms. Most of them were once offices and conference rooms that served as the base of operations decades back. Some of them had tattered and yellowed maps of Shuigang, or all of Avalice lining the wooden panels on the wall. It had a nice, rustic look, but the age and moisture made it into a decaying mess.

Spade skimmed through the contents of the metal racks that were located adjacent to the tattered maps. There was no dust on them. It was clear that they were recently transferred someplace else.

 _Nothing here._ He thought as he darted towards the next room. The room was identical to the last one, except for the conference table in the center. Papers were strewn about, typical for a hasty briefing session. Spade dug out the Lotus in his pocket and flipped up the flashlight.

Most of the documents were the usual maps of the region. Others were clearly marked with the seal of his father. Spade sighed and booted the scanner, and took quick shots of the documents.

 _A lot of info has been compromised,_ Spade thought. _This is going to be tough for Dail. I can only hope it will not take him down._

A pistol mag and a scrap of paper lied on the opposite corner of the table. Spade used guns before, but they hurt his ears, and the recoil did not help on his concentration. At most, he preferred silenced weapons. A silencer did its job at least, but the cards? A quick swipe can slice some nerves with reduced mess.

Spade picked up the magazine; it was loaded. _Sasha could definitely use it,_ he thought as he stuffed it in his pocket. He then picked up the scrap of paper; it was a memo with today's date:

 **The girl knows, it won't be long until the Scarves are here. Keep an eye on her, and take her out if necessary. I reset the code for the forest landing pad: 3095. Father Sun will initiate BEGINNING HOUR from there tonight.**

The name Sun caught Spade's attention. There was a leader with that name who led the Black Horizons decades ago. The Cartel was the counterpart to the Scarves, a yin to its yang, morals aside. Conflict was rife between the two for years, particularly during Shang Mu's first economic boom. It took a brutal crackdown by Mayor Zao's predecessor to end the violence. The Scarves has been able to survive over centuries of purges and crackdowns. The Cartel collapsed with the disappearance of its leader. Did this mean he's back? Spade could not say for sure. This happened way before he joined the Scarves.

Spade booted up the Lotus.

"Ezra, I'm sending some pics and intel. Can you confirm whether it belongs to who you think it is?"

" _Roger that, I will keep you posted and damn, are those what I think they are?"_

"What?"

" _Floppy Disks. They sure know how to keep things out of the cloud. It's been years since I us-"_

 _SCREEECH!_

In the distance, the unmistakable sound of rusted hinges echoed across the hallway.

Spade switched the Lotus off and snatched the disks before leaning by the doorway. He steadied his breathing as he focused, ears focused on the furthest ends of the corridor. The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. He felt his heart rate slowing down, and as he took another breath, the voices of the newcomers became clearer.

"We're fucked, you know that right?" a voiced echoed.

"For the fifth time, shut up. We just have to get this over with." a girl's voice muttered.

"Father anticipated this. He was right though, we pushed our luck a bit too much with all that scrap," the third voice explained. "The important part is done, this last one should speed it up. After that, we wait."

"And the Scarves? The authorities?" the first voice asked.

"It won't be long until _it_ gets released," the third voice said before changing topic. "I smell something. Saori, check the room on your right. Jin, do the next room. I'll handle the other side."

The footsteps echoed louder with each successive step. In the peripheries of his vision, Spade saw a glowing fluorescent light shine in the hall.

"Clear!" Saori's voice shouted.

"Clear!" Jin echoed. "Son of a bitch must be closeby."

The light shined more intensely. Spade felt the temptation to look, but resisted. A figure emerged from the edge of his vision, in front of the next room. It was hard to say who it was of the group, but it clearly had a pistol in hand, ready to fire.

 _CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!_

"What the-"

 _Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffttttttt..._

The hall was immediately enveloped in thick smoke. Spade took a step back, away from the smoke. It was hard to make out what exactly was going on, but within the smoke, Spade was able to make out one silhouette bending over and producing a wet, choking cough. Now was the time.

Spade took a deep breath, and took out 10 cards in his deck. He took his first step, and three cards slid out of his fingers right towards his first target. Just as he's about to enter the smoke, Spade closed his eyes and held his breath. He can somewhat remember the pain and the stinging from his early days of his training. It took an hour to recover that first time, at this point, he could handle a few minutes.

The next few seconds were quick. Spade squinted his eyes and came into contact with the first guard. The first one had a bulletproof vest, Spade grabbed the guard's leg and overturned him...or her.

 _THWACK._

Eyes tearing up, Spade ran towards the sound of the closest cough, and upon contact, he slammed the figure against the wall and knocked the second guard out with a quick right hook.

 _THUD! OOF! THWACK!_

Just as he finished off the second guard, a pair of hands grabbed Spade's shoulders, and threw him to the ground. Spade couldn't see the figure, and he couldn't open his mouth.

The hands shifted right to Spade's neck. Spade started to struggle, but the assailant's grip started to squeeze. Spade choked.

"Shhhhhhhhh..." a female's voice replied to Spade's thrashing.

It was Saori. She sounded young, but the power of the grip was surprisingly strong. Spade's reflexes kicked in and he started thrashing more violently. He then opened his eyes, he could only make out Saori's silhouette for a fraction of a second before the smoke started to get to his eyes. It stung real bad. Spade squinted as tears poured from the pain.

But just as his strangling quickly started, it ended with a swift metallic _THUD!_ Saori's grip loosened on Spade as she slumped on the floor.

Spade exhaled as he was grabbed again, only to be pulled out of the thickening smoke.

A stream of water was poured on his face as he took a few long painful gasps. Spade's vision refocused; it was Sasha.

She passed a bottle of water. Spade snatched it and took a long swig, emptying the bottle. He grabbed the petal spray from his pocket and sprayed it over his face. His vision blurred, and it stung, but it followed by a wave of relief.

"I just grabbed the first thing I had my hands on... I'm sorry..." Sasha muttered with remorse.

"Sasha, yid what you had to do," he stoically replied. "Found anything?"

Sasha presented a duffle bag, zipped up and stuff to the max.

"Let's get...outta here..." Spade coughed, struggling with his words. "I don't want to breathe in more of this shit."

* * *

 **Been working on this for months. I would like to thank Slightly Dazed Bystander for overseeing the edits over the last few chapters. College and work has made it a bit tough for me to keep on updating, but I hope to find more time along the way. Totally stoked for the Freedom Planet 2 demo and Resident Evil 7, though I'm still debating whether to get it a combination of budget, console, and pants-shitting fear.**

 **Hope I can keep you guys updated in the meantime.**


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